Many years ago I remember watching a pair of Su-27s flying a two-ship demo that included formation and opposing maneuvers. It was not only well-flown, but was incredibly tight. Here were two aircraft the size of F-14s maneuvering at relatively standstill speeds in an area as small as our Pitts formation act. Amazing! (Even the fighter guys watching with us were impressed.)

Since the Su-27 "Flanker," the Sukhoi OKB (Design Bureau) has pushed the basic fighter to operate from aircraft carriers (Su-27K), and has equipped them with thrust-vectoring engines for even more maneuverability (Su-35 and -37). The weapons systems employ passive infrared (no Radar signature to trace back to the source and give away the plane's position), as well as a helmet interface so the weapons track where the pilot is looking instead of where the fighter is pointed. There's even a side-by-side fighter-bomber version, the aesthetically challenged Su-34 "Fullback."

June's LOOTM is the incredible SU-27 family of high-performance fighters--"from Russia, with love." Enjoy.